Tom Benson's place on Forbes' 2016 list of the wealthiest people in the United States

288

The owner of the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans is the 288th richest person in the country and the 810th richest person in the world, according to a list published by Forbes Feb. 29. "He started out as a bookkeeper at a Chevrolet dealership in New Orleans," Forbes reported, "before funneling his earnings into a steady procession of his own auto dealerships, local banks and, eventually, sports teams."

Benson, of course, has been in a court battle over heirship, with wife Gayle Benson facing off against Benson's daughter Renee, granddaughter Rita Benson LeBlanc and grandson Ryan LeBlanc. On Feb. 24, the Louisiana 4th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a judgment last year that found the 88-year-old Benson to be competent when he made Gayle Benson his primary inheritor. How much is at stake? $2.2 billion, according to Forbes.